Building your own app while staying home during the lockdown

With the lockdown being extended from time to time, it is unclear how long we are going to be stuck indoors this way.

Let’s not get fussy about being forced to stay in, come let's make use of an unexpected break to engage your brain and develop some skills or use up some creativity and build a product or something that could be useful, like maybe a mobile application.

Yes, you can build your own app during this lockdown period at your home. There are unlimited problems out there in the world waiting to be addressed, find a solution through an app, and get down with the problem.

With internet access and ample online workshops and courses out there, app development has gotten easy. However, MyCaptain offers one where you can interact with a field professional LIVE throughout the 30-day workshop. 

First thing,  What is an app?  

The app is nothing but an idea that will ease out a whole lot of things. So getting an idea and evaluating if the idea will make a change in the lives of the users and how much of a success and use an app will be. 

Before starting or getting the idea of building an app you need to ask yourself a set of questions 

Why should you build an app? 

Apps are out there to make our day to day lives easy in today’s digitally advancing era where one doesn’t have the time and energy to deal with smaller issues. 

Would you rather Paytm your bill or withdraw cash out and then make the payment? 

So once you identify the problem that is prevalent around and work on creating a solution for it. Your solution will develop into an app that will bridge the gap between the problem faced and the solution sought.

Identify the need for an app?  

All your app needs to focus on is will it solve the problem? Ask yourself this question and is there a need for this new app, will it bring a solution to the problem? If yes, then go start building your app. 

What are you targeting through your app? 

Be specific about critical aspects like who will this app you plan on creating cater to, is the problem you plan on easing out a burning issue and will your app really change the game in the field. 

Affordability of the app? 

Can you afford to turn your idea into a complete product, building apps can be time and money consuming. You will need to include all the costs that building an app will occur, right from researching, designing, developing, and promoting your app must be considered well before diving into it. 

Get an estimate of your project and then proceed further with it.

Once these questions are answered and you are confident your idea will make it out as a successful product you can get to the steps of app development. 

Layout the sketch for your app

The idea may be solid but you will need to plan out the actuals, start with sketching out the idea and build a list of features you want to include in your app. 

• Identify the features and functionality to be included. To begin with, start off with your Minimal Viable Product (MVP)  By doing this you include the things that are crucial, perfect them, save time, and eventually improvise on the app.
• Try and eliminate irrelevant features off your list. Divide the items as ‘must-have features’ and ‘good to have them features’ to cut out the extras. Remove the noncore features your app will be handling.

Do your essential market research 

After laying out your draft work now it's time for a reality check. Time to research the viability of your idea once it turns out as a finished product. Conducting your market research is one step one can’t miss. Your market research will put all those missing blocks that your project has to work on.

The actual use and demand for it and the use of the product. The target customers/users for the app aims at. 

• Any competitors you might evaluate before starting your project? 
• Is your app planning on filling the gaps of your competitors? 
• Also, useability of your product, will the masses use your product and will your app be an actual game-changer?

Give your app a design

The time you assemble all your objectives and functionalities from individual blocks to a single rough piece. The design gives a skeleton-like framework for your app to move ahead and work with. 

Design is crucial as it is the underlying factor that will determine the success of your app. It is the UX/UI design that makes your app usable and good. Choose a platform you want to develop your app for.

Development of your application

Choose which approach you want to use to develop your app - native, hybrid, or drag and drop builders.

Native app development means developing an app for a particular operating system. As the name suggests, hybrid app development is used to create apps that are compatible with both Android and iOS platforms. For a starter with a limited budget, a hybrid would be a more suitable choice.

Then there's drag and drop app building platforms like Appy Pie, AppSheet, and BuildFire that allow you to develop mobile apps with zero coding knowledge. You just have to choose a template or drag and drop elements and your app will be ready in no time. 

Choose the right programming language and build your app. Or you could hire a web developer and get your app development sorter out, you will not be restricted to what you want in your app under here.

Test your app on the device of your choice

Testing your apps is an important stage in your app-building process. By testing your app, you can verify the functionality, usability, and correctness of your app. Testing helps to fix bugs and user experience issues. 

While there are various kinds of testing available, the most recommended types would be: Internal Test and the External Test. 

Internal testing your app by the development team as if you were the end-user. 

While external testing on the other hand requires you to give the app to people who are not familiar with you or your mobile app.

Launch your app

Now that your app is ready to be published, it is time to let the world know and use your app. First register into respective app stores and submit your app there. Follow the guidelines given for the store to make your app store optimized to make the best of it.  

Promote and market your app

Time to market your app. Marketing any product is essential for its success, the same with apps too. Pick out the most effective ways to market and promote your application. There are numerous ways to market your app, choose the best that suits your app the best.  Use your website, social media, PR, or word of mouth to attract users to make your app popular.

So these are the basic things you must look into while developing an app, this lockdown, start your research on what you would want to change, and build an app right from your home. Do get in touch with MyCaptain to get some assistance and mentoring on app building from professionals in the field of app development.